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um Model.)

R. .J. OHRISTY.

KNIFE.

No. 508,916. 4 PatentedNovJ2Ll893.

THE NATIONAL umoeumma. coMPANY.

WABHINGYON. a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

RUSS J. CHRISTY, OF FREMONT, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THE OI-IRISTY KNIFE KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,916, dated November 21, 1893.

Application filed'May 15, 18 93.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUSS J. CHRISTY, residing at Fremont,in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knives and Similar Tools, of which the folkept strained and rigid; also to produce a cutting tool with a thin blade, in which the straining bow may'act as a gage in'cutting; also to produce a blade with a straining bow and handle made integral, so as to give a maximum of strength and minimum of cost; also to improve tools of the character described in various particulars.

Figure 1 is a side or face elevation of a knife or tool made according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or back View. Fig. 3 is a view of the opposite side of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation,and Fig. 5 is a section of the blade. Fig.6 is a side elevation'of a blade witha modified handle. Fig. 7 isa face elevation of p a blade with still another modification of handle, and Fig. 8 is an edge view of the tool Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail section of the wire or bar passed through .the hole in the blade.

A, indicates the blade. This blade is narrowand very thin, preferably of tempered steel, and has a serrated edge. The bevel is entirely on one side of the blade, and the teeth and interdental spaces are both sharpened, preferably as in my Patent No. 460,677, of October 6, 1891, but not necessarily so.

I The handle B, is made froma single piece of drawn metal or wire, which may have a transverse slot B at the end which embraces the blade, or'it may be otherwise secured to the blade, for instance as in my Patent No. 414,97 3, of November 12, 1889. The handle 7 is formed by a loop or return bend of the wire, and after returning nearly to the end of the blade, the wire bends 'to one side, and then extends, as at B nearly to the other end of the blade in a direction about parallel with the plane in which the body of the blade lies,

Serial No. 474,250- (No model.)

but not necessarily parallel with the back or edge of the blade. This bar B serves as a straining bar to hold the blade straight and a stiff, and also as a gage or guide in cutting with .the knife, especially if it be used as a bread, cake, or meat knife. The gage bar-B need not rest against the slice of bread or meat in cutting, but isa ready guide to the edge in cutting straight slices. Soif the tool be used as a saw, the bar B answers as aguide. Theblade enters between the slice and the gage bar B and the gage bar prevents the slice from falling over until it is entirely severed from the loaf or mass.

As shown in Fig. 6, the gage bar 13 maybe bowed upward,so as to act as a spring throughout its entire length. v

The end of the gage or straining bar-B is turned toward the blade, and passes through a hole in the blade. The bar is notched near the end. The end of the bar is such that the end B has to be sprung in a little toward the handle to pass it through the hole in the blade. The spring of the bar not only holds the blade firmly to the bar, but puts the blade under strong tension to hold it straight or taut. As shown in the drawings, practically the entire bar, including the handle, becomes a part of the straining bar. The ends of the blade are attached near to the ends of the straining bar, and the loop orretu rn bend which forms is passed through a holein the blade, and the ends of the bar have a plurality of" notches, so that the blade may be placed at different distances from the gage barB andboth ends be held by straining the blade into the notches in the bar. See sectional detail, Fig. 9.

The skilled mechanic will understand that a verystronghandle and gage may be made from a single piece of wire, and that the elasticity of tempered wire, when bent into about the form described, or other forms ofthe same general character will keep the blade under strain. In this way an exceedingly thin blade may be used, so that a clean cut may be made with little resistance, and yet all necessary rigidity can, be had, in the same manner as is had in the bow saw or sash saw, not from the blade but from the supporting bar, which as has been described also acts as a gage bar.

The grinding of the knife can be effected on a fiat faced grindstone, if the bevel be all on one side, and. the plane side be turned away from the gage bar.

I do not limit my invention to the precise constructions shown in the drawings.

What I claim is 4 1. The knife described consisting essentially of a serrated blade, and an elastic straining bar attached near its ends to the ends of said blade, the handle being a return bend or loop in said bar, and a part of the bar extending in a plane about parallel with the plane of the blade, substantially as described.

2. The knife having a thin flexible blade, and an elastic straining bar extending alongside said blade in a plane about parallel therewith, said blade adjustably secured to said bar, substantially as described.

3. The straining bar at the side of the blade, having a portion near one end notched and extending about at a right angle to the blade and through a hole therein, said blade and bar being connected at the handle end, sub- 

